Sometimes we feel in flow with the universe, totally in the groove. Everything is easy and a joy.

Other days can be just the opposite — like slogging through mud. Last week I encountered some surprising energy. I’ve backed out of my driveway probably a thousand times. Zipping forward and backward without a second thought. Then last week I can’t back up straight to save myself. Ugh!

This got me to thinking: “Where am I out of alignment?” “Is my life out of balance in some fundamental way? Is the universe encouraging me to get realigned? When you are aware of how you are operating in the world, you can make adjustments. You can slow down. You can release negativity. You can embrace and integrate shadow emotions in a helpful way.

Awareness always takes you forward. Once you have awareness of an issue, a challenge, an area for growth or examination, you really can’t go backward. No matter how back-burner you put something, once it enters your field of awareness, you might as well look at it and consider action around it. That way you don’t end up getting not-so-subtle messages from the Universe that you need to address a belief, an emotion, or a pattern of behavior.

Of course, it helps if you clearly know where you’re headed on your life path. Do you have clarity around your life mission? Or your life purpose? Do you know how your talents and skills best position you to be of service?

I’m pretty clear about the fact that I’m on the path I need to be on for my own personal development and enlightenment and in order to be of best service to others.

Yet, I always feel that I can know more, that there are deeper levels of information and insight that I can perceive. That’s why I create intuitive dream boards regularly. They let me practice delving into my personal unconscious — down below my subconscious and the collective unconscious to the soul level.

Being the “What You Notice Matters!” empowerment coach, I also seek to always be learning myself. Recently, I ran across a wonderful website run by the Edgar Cayce Foundation that offers a “Discovering Your Mission in Life” online course. I highly recommend it as a personal journey worth taking whether you are already sure of your life path or you are looking for more direction about how you could be best using your talents.

Your dream life path should feel like a magical and divine place where you easily and joyously share your authentic talents and gifts with others. That doesn’t mean you won’t have days when you can’t even seem to get out of the driveway. What knowing your life mission does mean is that you’re more likely to keep things in perspective. You’ll know how to laugh off or shrug off detours, how to receive signs from the Universe, reconsider your course, and get back on track quickly.